Sign up for trip to see Suzanne Farrell Ballet

Sept. 22, 2009

KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University's Partners in Dance is sponsoring a trip to see the Suzanne Farrell Ballet perform "The Balanchine Couple" at the Power Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 10.

Seating is limited and reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration and payment are required by Monday, Oct. 5.

The cost of the trip is $85 for Partners in Dance members and $95 for non-members. The price includes orchestra seats on the main floor, round-trip motor coach transportation, and a boxed lunch and en-route lecture by Sharon Garber, associate professor of dance. Hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be provided on the way back to Kalamazoo after the performance.

One of George Balanchine's most celebrated muses, Suzanne Farrell remains a legendary figure in the world of ballet. She joined Balanchine's New York City Ballet in 1961, and by the mid-1960s had not only become one of the company's most renowned dancers, but also a symbol of the era. During her 28 years on stage, Farrell performed a repertoire of more than 100 ballets, nearly one-third of which were created specifically for her.

She founded the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, housed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in 2000, as a way of preserving Balanchine's legacy. In the last decade, it has become a highly lauded company, hailed by the New York Times as "one of the most courageous projects in ballet today."

For more information about the trip to Detroit, or to register for the event, contact the Department of Dance at (269) 387-5830. For more information about Partners in Dance, which supports WMU Department of Dance programs, visit wmich.edu/dance/pid.